Matt Mullarkey '05

Published on: 09/11/13

What is your current job?

Currently an an international project development and finance attorney for Clifford Chance LLP in Qatar; previously was a principal state attorney for the Minister of Justice of Rwanda in Kigali, Rwanda.

Why did you choose this profession?

I was always interested in an international career. During my breaks in law school, I traveled all over Africa ane discovered that I wanted to get involved in international development - energy, infrastructure, utilities etc in developing nations. It gave me a combination of law and helping others.

What more do you wish to accomplish in your professional career?

Many things but it would be great to be involved with international development agencies like the World Bank, UNDP, USAID, IBRD etc and dedicate my career to helping a population get the water, roads, hospitals etc that it needs. There is a lot of good that an attorney can do without ever having to step inside a courtroom and I intend to pursue the farthest reaches of that idea.

Tell us about a decision or change you made that turned out to be a positive career move.

Taking a leap of faith and moving from Los Angeles to third-world Africa in Kigali (and then again from Kigali to the Middle East). If it wasn't for that, I never would have seen the possibilities in my field and the potential for my own personal growth as an attorney. It showed me not only what I wanted to pursue, but also how far I still had to get the training and skill set that it required to make an impact on the macro level. Any decision that is to have an impact on your life will inevitably scare you/be very tough. The saying "if it were easy then everyone would do it" is true; if you ever want to follow a dream or make an impact, you'll inevitably have to move outside your comfort zone.

How has Haverford influenced your professional career?

Haverford was great in that it encourages students to follow less-conventional career paths. Many schools pressure students into following more typical/formed careers but Haverford puts more emphasis on the individual (our self-imposed Honor Code, for example). Sure, we all crave guidance and structure, but there is a large benefit to having more freedom in running one's life and taking responsibility for one's impact on this earth.